There are gender wars, and then there are casualties. It wasn’t until 2011 that the behemoth toymaker LEGO acknowledged girls’ desire to build with bricks, even though the company had long before made a seemingly effortless pivot to co-branding, video games, and major motion pictures. So it’s little wonder that girls face all-too-real obstacles when […]
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User interface
December 1st, 2005 by IDEA
Developing user-centered interfaces for increased accessibility. Problem You need a web interface that is accessible to all types of users. Solution Use universal techniques for ease of navigation. Discussion Much has been written about human-computer interaction and the importance of the user interface. The overall key is to be “user-centered.” When designing your web site,
Bringing 3D images to life through animation. Problem You can’t adequately show a 3D object or scene on your web site. Solution Allow the visitor to rotate, spin, or navigate a 3D world on screen, using one of two techiniques: Pre-render. You can make a pre-recorded animation in the form of movie clip; use an
Zooming in
November 1st, 2005 by IDEA
Enlarging images to provide visitors with more detail. Problem A computer monitor has low resolution, which can make detail difficult to see. Solution Allow visitors to zoom into an image using one of the following methods: An enlarge button. An easy method is to put a small “Enlarge” button next to an image. In current
Capturing interest with personal comments. Problem You need to lend a sense of context and mood to your web site. Solution Add a short audio clip that incorporates a personal recount or reflection. Include volume control, play/pause, and restart options. Discussion Personal comments are invariably more interesting and engaging that factual monologues. A simple phrase
Insight & context
November 1st, 2005 by IDEA
Developing a narrative to engage visitors. Problem Your web site isn’t enticing and engaging to visitors. Solution Maintain a sense of realism and narrative to your website. Discussion Adding multimedia, such as commentary from a noted expert, can engender realism. Narrative can be maintained by removing extra information from the core presentation, and allowing visitors
Dynamic navigation
August 2nd, 2005 by IDEA
Asking questions of the visitor can trigger more personalized information. Problem Your web site needs to meet the needs of different users. For example, you need versions of the site for elementary kids, teens, adults, and teachers. Solution Direct the visitor to the appropriate information by employing the following techniques: Initial interview, or preferences: Ask
Adapting your web content to different audiences increases the effectiveness of your project. Problem You must meet the needs of multiple audiences, each needing a different version of the same information. For example, you may need Spanish and English versions of each page, or versions geared towards different education levels. Solution Adapt your site content
More about tailoring
August 2nd, 2005 by IDEA
Defining the audience for your content is the first step in personalization. Tailoring meets the needs of the individual by defining the audience for each piece of educational material, collecting information from users, and cross-referencing content with user information. Problem While we have the ability to disseminate massive quantities of educational materials to the general
Tailoring information adds value to the user’s experience. Educational materials that attempt to meet the needs of everyone often meet the needs of no one in particular. Tailoring replaces the cookie cutter approach by personalizing content and increasing relevance. Many educational efforts suffer from a problem of relevance. For example, math teachers may struggle to